KRA seeks killer methanol buyer

The taxman is out to track down the trader who bought the methanol found in brews that killed more than 80 people in April.

Kenya Revenue Authority is working with other government agencies to find the businessman.

KRA wanted to establish what the methanol it auctioned at the Mombasa Port just before the April tragedy was used for, it said yesterday in a statement.

“We are working with the relevant arms of government to establish the whereabouts of the methanol trader and brewers who bought it.”

The statement added that reputable companies regularly imported the product and data showed that 4,300 tonnes were imported last year.

The law does not restrict the purchase of methanol to any particular category or people.

“Methanol is used for industrial purposes, primarily in the production of organic materials such as formaldehyde and organic acids. It is also used as a solvent in plastics, polymers, paints and dyestuff,” said the statement.

The authority said it auctioned the methanol, which had been at the port for two years, after the importer failed to pay duty.

The buyer collected the consignment on April 22.

Last week, the chairman of the National Authority for Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Mr John Mututho, told the Press that the agency was working with the revenue collector to trace the buyer.

“All products of firms that bought the methanol will be recalled until we can ascertain if they are safe for consumption,” he said.

We erroneously reported in the Friday Nation of May 30, that KRA had admitted selling the methanol. It only admitted to having auctioned it but did not specify whether it knew what the methanol was used for.

We would like to apologise to the taxman for any damage this previous reporting may have caused. The error is regretted.